Hibiscus tea is known for its vibrant red color and can offer a real dose of vitamin C. But did you know that drinking hibiscus tea also has many benefits for your hair? In this article, we explore the benefits of hibiscus tea and how it can help with hair growth.
Hibiscus tea contains antioxidants and vitamin C which is very beneficial for your scalp and hair growth. Vitamin C helps to absorb iron which keeps hair healthy and strong. Antioxidants help to nurture the scalp and prevent skin conditions such as dandruff.
Is Hibiscus Tea Good For Hair Growth?
As mentioned, hibiscus tea has lots of health properties due to its high concentration of vitamin c and antioxidants.
Vitamin C is an essential vitamin that, along with immunity-boosting benefits, also boosts the amount of collagen we produce.
Collagen is the most abundant protein in our bodies, and is found in everything from our nails, bones, skin, muscles, and, you guessed it, your hair.
According to the Harvard School of Public Health, as we age, our body makes less and less collagen, leading to wrinkly skin and thinning, weak hair.
Luckily, you can get collagen naturally simply by eating foods rich in Vitamin C like hibiscus tea.
Hibiscus Tea Benefits For Hair
1. Promotes Hair Growth
A study from 2003 showed that Hibiscus rosa-sinensis helped mice regrow hair in as little as 2 weeks.
Because of the vitamin C in hibiscus tea, drinking hibiscus tea helps boost collagen, which we know can help promote hair growth.
Vitamin C also helps your body absorb more iron. This is important since iron improves blood circulation to your roots and promotes healthy hair growth.
2. Treats Dry Scalp
Hibiscus tea benefits for hair also include treating dandruff and dry scalp.
A 2017 study showed that Hibiscus helps in wound healing because it regenerates and hydrates skin, including your scalp.
In addition, drinking hibiscus tea allows you to get more water into your body, which helps your skin and scalp stay hydrated.
3. Prevents Hair Loss
Did you know that the follicles in your hair need proteins, vitamins, and minerals to survive?
Without getting proper vitamins, such as vitamin c, you might experience hair loss.
Vitamin c can help reduce hair loss, especially in people who lose hair due to having low iron.
This is common in women who might have heavy periods or have a condition called anemia.
Drinking hibiscus tea is therefore an excellent way to boost your intake of vitamin C.
4. Prevents Premature Grey Hairs
Hibiscus tea helps boost collagen, which our bodies start producing less of as we get older.
Boosting collagen helps in preventing gray hairs and thinning hair from happening earlier than it should.
5. Conditions Hair
Whether you use it directly on your hair or drink it through tea, hibiscus is great for conditioning hair.
Hibiscus can help not only to make sure your scalp and hair stay hydrated but also prevent dry and frizzy hair thanks to its mucilage fiber.
Is Hibiscus Tea Safe To Have Every Day?
Hibiscus tea is generally safe to consume every day, as it doesn’t contain any caffeine, added sugars, or calories.
However, people with the following conditions should stay away from hibiscus tea:
- Low blood pressure- Drinking 3 cups of hibiscus tea a day has been shown to lower blood pressure by as much as 7 points, which is good if you have high blood pressure but can be dangerous for people with low blood pressure
- Taking drugs for malaria- Hibiscus tea has been shown to interfere with chloroquine, a drug taken to treat malaria
- Taking acetaminophen- Hibiscus tea has been shown to interfere with acetaminophen, commonly known as Tylenol
- People with Diabetes- Drinking hibiscus tea can possibly lower blood sugar, which is dangerous if your blood sugar drops too low
- Pregnant women- Hibiscus has been known to make hormones such as ogesterone fluctuate, which is potentially dangerous if you’re in your first trimester of pregnancy and can lead to miscarriages, so pregnant women should not consume hibiscus tea
All in all, if you have any doubts about hibiscus tea, it’s best to talk to your doctor and limit your consumption.
How To Use Hibiscus Tea For Hair
As the name suggests, hibiscus tea is a tea made from the hibiscus flower.
You can buy hibiscus tea as regular tea bags, or you can make your own tea from the flower.
Either method can benefit your hair, whether it’s drinking hibiscus tea for its many health benefits, or using it directly on your locks.
If you’re using a pre-made tea bag, steep your tea according to the instructions on the package.
Make sure not to steep your tea for too long, as this can cause the tea to taste bitter.
You also don’t want to take the tea out too early, as this will prevent you from getting all the good health benefits from tea.
For tea that comes prepared, steeping time will usually be lower than making your own hibiscus tea, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Make Your Own Hibiscus Tea
1. Pick fresh hibiscus flowers from your garden that are in full bloom, or buy dried hibiscus flowers
2. Pick off the petals and discard the pollen and pistil in the middle of the flower.
It’s unclear whether these parts are safe to eat on the hibiscus flower, so it’s best to just stick with the petals when making tea.
3. Combine 2 cups of fresh hibiscus flowers or 1/2 cup of dried flowers with 8 cups of water.
4. Bring everything to a boil over the stovetop.
5. Once the water is boiling, take it off the heat and cover your pot.
6. Let the hibiscus steep for 15-20 minutes. You can also add any other teas to your hibiscus such as lemongrass, oolong, mint, you name it!
7. If you’re going to use your tea on your hair, make sure you use a fine-mesh strainer and strain your tea and catch all the small petals.
8. Serve your tea hot or chill it over ice and enjoy.
Not only can hibiscus tea benefit hair through drinking it through tea, but it can also be used in your hair, as an oil, or as a paste.
How To Use Hibiscus Tea In Your Hair
1. Prepare your hibiscus tea using the steps we outlined above
2. Let the tea cool until it is luke-warm or cool to the touch
3. Let the tea soak into your hair and scalp after you’ve washed it and apply it throughout all your strands of hair
4. You can leave the hibiscus tea in your hair for as long as you like, from 45 minutes to a couple of hours
5. Rinse out the tea and condition your hair as usual
You can also form a paste out of your hibiscus tea by crushing hibiscus flowers or using hibiscus powder.
Then, combine it with jojoba oil, aloe Vera gel, coconut oil, coconut milk, or any other healthy hair oil and use it as a masque to condition your hair.
Why Should Blondes Avoid A Hibiscus Tea Rinse?
Hibiscus can be used safely on your hair, and its beautiful red color can even add a tinge of red to gray or blonde hair while bringing out darker tones in darker hair.
Hibiscus will eventually wash out of hair.
However, if you don’t want to go for a strawberry blonde look (literally), it’s best to avoid using hibiscus tea directly on your hair or as a mask.
However, you can still enjoy all the benefits of hibiscus by drinking it through your favorite tea.
Disclaimer: This site is not intended to provide professional or medical advice. All of the content on LovedByCurls.com is for informational purposes only. All advice should be followed at your own discretion. Ingredients may change at any time so always check the product label before using. Check our full disclaimer policy here.
